Boston manager eager after hectic offseason

Wednesday

Feb 15, 2006 at 12:01 AM

HOWARD ULMANAP Sports Writer

FORT MYERS - An excited Terry Francona watched his third baseman get off to an impressive start with a new team: four hits in eight at-bats plus three walks and two RBIs in three games.
"I was like, in tears," he said, and they weren't for Mike Lowell, Boston's new third baseman.
They were for his daughter, Alyssa, a North Carolina freshman who played last weekend in a softball tournament in Miami.
It was a welcomed change for the Red Sox manager, who lost center fielder Johnny Damon and GM Theo Epstein (temporarily) during a hectic offseason.
Francona also lost his knee.
He had his right knee replaced nearly three months ago - the 10th operation on that knee and 19th on both knees combined. The surgery was done about six weeks after the Red Sox were swept in the AL division series by the Chicago White Sox and three weeks after Epstein stepped down.
Not long after Epstein's departure, Damon signed with the New York Yankees. Just one month after that, Epstein returned as GM, but so far the Red Sox have tried but failed to honor trade requests by Manny Ramirez and David Wells.
Francona took it all in stride, hobbled though that stride may be.
"My knee, I work as hard as I can because I can control it," the 46-year-old Francona said Tuesday, four days before Boston's first official workout for pitchers and catchers. "Theo is back where he started. Manny, it never really involved me. Manny's offseason is his offseason. When his season starts, I expect Manny to be a productive left fielder for us.
"I think you spend energy on things you can control and not waste energy on things you can't control."
On his first day in camp Monday, Francona rode the stationary bike for an hour, something he couldn't do before the operation. On Tuesday, he ran on the treadmill. His days of throwing batting practice might be over, he said, but the surgery was necessary.
There had been added concern because Francona had a pulmonary embolism in 2002, but his doctors addressed that.
"They assured me that I wouldn't die," he said. "I asked them point blank. I said, 'If I go on that table and I die . . . I'll come back and haunt every one of you guys."'
On Tuesday, he praised his doctors and said, "It was just something I had to do. I was getting so bowlegged, it hurt when I walked."
Francona was hospitalized with what was identified as a virus before the third game of last season in New York. After the season, he felt "like I got run over by a truck the whole year," he said.
His offseason priority was to get healthier, and he's on his way. He also feels better now that Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke are leaving physical woes behind.
Knee problems contributed to Foulke's poor season as a closer. He underwent surgery and played catch for 13 minutes Tuesday. He was the first veteran pitcher to report.
That's "a great sign," Francona said. "I think, in his own mind, he feels like he has some work to do and something to prove."
Schilling worked out in Arizona after a disappointing season in which he was hobbled by an ankle problem that dated to 2004, when Francona managed Boston to its first World Series title in 86 years.
"From what I understand, he's doing terrific," Francona said.
He got some more good news Tuesday when Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin was named to the 30-man U.S. roster for next month's World Baseball Classic.
"I know he'll be excited," Francona said before the roster was announced. "The honor would probably mean more to him maybe than some other people."
Timlin is patriotic and Francona hopes he doesn't get hurt by overthrowing before his arm is ready. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek also is on the U.S. team, pitcher Lenny DiNardo will play for Italy and other Boston players are expected to participate.
"It's an awesome concept. I wish there was a perfect way to do it," Francona said. "You're going to see a lot of general managers, managers, organizations hold their breath every time their pitcher steps on the mound."
His own physical condition also is important for Boston's success.
"The players deserve to have me be upbeat, positive and it's not always easy to do, especially in Boston, because it beats you down and last year I got beat down a little bit," he said. "I need to be a little more resilient and not feeling good health-wise doesn't help."